Seal



June29,1943. v w.v w. 11a/RA y2,322,867'

SEAL

Filed Jan. 1o, 1941 'Patented June 29, 1943 poration of Illinois Application January 1o,1941,sernlN.a7s,ssa

(ci. zas- 7) This invention has to do with a seal disposable about rotary shafting or the like, and relates more particularly 'to a seal for preventing the leakage of gas or other fluid axially along and between a shaft and an opening therefor within an enclosure wall. The inventionl is especially useful in the mechanical refrigeration art where seals are required in association with afrotary shaft that drives a refrigerant compressor unit,`though not restricted to this field.

Seals of the general character herein disclosed include a sealing ring placed about a rotatable shaft and having upon one end thereof a smooth annular face in sliding relation witha comple- A mental smooth face upon a wall such as that of a crank case inI which the shaft is journalled. As

the ring rotates with the shaft the smooth sliding faces effect a hermetic seal preventing the passage between them of compressed gas from within the crank case.

Theopposite vend of the sealingA ring is sealed and drivingly connected with the shaft by means of a compressible resilient gasket, such end of the ring usually being cupped or recessed to receive the gasket. It is also usual to provide, about the shaft, a helical spring with an end exerting an axial thrust against the gasket. In the operation of this prior art structure the gasket transmits the springs force to the sealing ring to maintain the sliding sealing faces together, and it is intended that the gasket will yield and slide along shaft. These recesses prevent the existence of a continuous evacuated jimcture the gas,- ket and the `shai't and also provide spaces into which the body of said gasket is displaceable incident to the application of an axial force thereto and thus assure the availability of relative axial movement between said gasket and the shaft at all times.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a gasket as the above wherein the rib network is of a character providing suiilcientfrictional contact with the shaft for causing the gasket to rotate with .the shaft.

Another obiect is the provision 'of a novel sleeve-like gasket having a ribbed interiorv and an integral radially outwardly projecting flange upon an end portion thereof.

A further object is the provision of a sleevelike compressible resilient gasket member having a ribbed inner periphery and a freely mounted retaining band encircling its outer periphery;

A still further object of this inventionis the provision of a novel seal structure having a sealthe shaft sufficiently to cause substantially uniform application of this force to the sealing ring.

and hence effect a constantly firm leak-proof ensagement between said faces despite relative axial movement vand/or wobble of the shaft vand the casing wall that may be caused by slight inaccuracies in the apparatus.

'However, the applicant has found that,after these contemporary seal structures have been in service for a while they develop leaks, and one cause of this leakage has been traceable to a permanent seal or adherence of the innerp'eriphery of the gasket upon the shaft whereby the ,member having upon its innerperiphery a net-l work of ribs. defining therebetween a plurality of recesses which overcome `this tendency for the gasket to lfreeze or permanently stick to thev ing ring with an annular sealing face upon one end thereof, a compressible resilient sleeve-like gasket having a radially outwardly projecting flange at an end portion adjacently to the opposite end of said ring, a coupling ring encircling the flange and having a radially inturned Portion disposed in overlapping relation with the side v of the flange opposite to the sealing ring, the

coupling ring having a driving connection with the sealing ring that permits of relative axial movement between said rings, and the ,inturned portion of the coupling ring being suited for the an enclosure wall;

Fig. 2 is a transversesectional view taken sub'- Y aannam on the une z-z of Fig. 1.l parte being broken away for clarity; c

Fig. 3 is a perspectivev view of' 'a gasket constructed according to the present invention, this view illustrating a form of rib network upon the inner periphery of the gasket; and

Fig. 4 is a lfragmentary development view illustrating the rib structure or network upon the interior of the gasket shown in the lower numbered figures.

With further reference to the drawing, where= in the same reference characters appearing in different figures designate the same respective parts, and particularlyto Fig. 1, there is shown a portion of a wall II) having an opening lII which in the present structure serves as a bearing for a rotatable shaft I2. The seal which is generally designated I3 is for preventing the leakage of gas or other uid from a space on the right side of the wall I0, where it is confined under pressure, into and along the interstice between the shaft I2 and the opening or bearing II to the left side of the wall I where the ambient pressure is relatively less.

In the structure of my improved seal I provide a seal ring I4 preferably made of a metal and having upon its left end a smooth flat annular face I 5 which is slidable upon ai. complementa! 'face I6 formed upon the wall I0. Adjacently to the seal ring I4there is placed about the shaft I8 which abuts against the ring id in both sealing and driving; relation; that is, the frictional engagement between the abutting end faces of the parts I4 and I8 is such that rotative driving force is impartible from the member it to the member I4. Y ribs I9 and 20 are formed upon the inner periphery'of the gasket I'I, the ribs i9 of one set running helically in one direction and the ribs 20 of another set running helically in the opposite direction." The resulting network of these ribs effects a myriad of isolated diamond-shaped recesses 2I, plainly illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. The breadth, spacing and pitch of the ribs is so chosen that at any circumferentialfsection of the gasket there will be a plurality of the recesses 2lv arranged axially of said gasket.

A confining or reinforcing band 22, preferably of metal, is placed about the main body or sleevelike portion of the gasket lI, whereas a coupling ring 23 is placed circumferentially about the ring I4 and the flange I8. In the left-hand portion of the ring 23 there are formed dametrically opposite indentational bosses 24 that are meshed with axial grooves 25 in the outer periphery of the ring I4; see Fig. 2. This arrangement enables the seal ring I4 to be rotatively driven from the coupling ring 23 while permitting of relative axial movement between these two members.

The right end of the coupling ring 23 is bent radially inwardly in overlapping relation with the right end of the flange I8 and thus forms a seat 26 forone end of a helical spring 2l of A plurality of sets of intersecting shaft i2 to the gasket Il will be transmitted from the iange i8 to the rings 23 and i4 which, it will be recalled, are coupled for mutual rotation by means of bosses 24 and the notches 25. While some rotative force will be transmitted from the shaft i2 to the rings I3 and I4 ,through the spring cup 28 and the spring 21, it is also desirable that this force be augmented by force transmitted from the shaft through the gasket il.

The rib network herein disclosed has been found to provide suicient contacting area upon the shaft I2 and in such a manner that the desired amount of rotative force is transmitted from the shaft to the gasket, though insufficient force would be transmitted to the gasket if the ribs therein were simply parallel circumferential ribs. Consequently the sealing ring I4 will be caused to rotate with the shaft I2 while sliding the sealing surface l5 about the complemental sealing surface inwardly along the left end of the ring Id to the right end of the bearing I i, is prevented. Leaks age radially inwardly along the right end of the ring Ii is precluded by the contiguous sealing relation of the flange I3, and leakage between the gasket Il and the shaft I2 is precluded by the ribs I9 and 20, the effectiveness of these ribs being augmented by the isolated pockets or recesses between them.

oftentimes, because of improper alignment of the shaft i2 or parts with which it is associated, or, because of tortional vibration'of this shaft under load, relative axial or wobble movement will be incurred between said shaft and the part as I0 upon which there is provided the complemental sealing face I5. When this occurs the flange I 8 will yield uctuatively under the force of the spring 2l and the reactive force of the face l@ whereby the inner periphery of the sleeve will be reciprocated axially upon the shaft. The ribsv arranged as herein shown, while -effecting suiiicient frictional engagement with theshaft I2 to cause the gasket to rotate therewith, avoid sticking to the shaft with the extreme tenacity that-would interfere with the aforesaid reciprocal movement along said shaft. This is a pronounced improvement over previous gaskets which "freeze to the shaft and thus interfere with compressions of the gasket by the spring.

The sleeve portion of the gasket is reinforced by the ring 22, which, being separate from the such sleeve portion with but limited distortion which the opposite end seats within a cup 28 that bears against ashoulder 29 of the shaft l2.

In the operation of my improved device, during rotation of the shaft I2, the spring 21 exerts sufficient axial force against the seat 26 to partially compress the resilient flange It, and the reaction of this flange against the seal ring Id whereby the eilicient association of the ribs I9 and 2t with the shaft is preserved.

While I have herein shown and described but one specific embodiment of my improved seal structure, it should be understood that the invention extends to lother arrangements. details and structures falling within the spirit thereof.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

l. A seal for rotating arbors comprising a seal ring'adapted to have a. free sliding rotary fit against means forming a circular seal seat through winch the arbor extends, a flexible seal member'of rubber-like material having a sleevelike portion providing a surface for sealing engagement about the arbor to prevent the escape of gas or fluid along the surface of the arbor. the seal member also having sealing engagement with the seal ring, the sleeve-like portion of the seal member being formed with a plurality of crossing ribs in the arbor engaging surface thereof, including ribs extending in one helical direction on said arbor engaging surface, and

i6 whereby leakage radially intersecting ribsextending in another helical direction, said crossing ribs providing air spaces ling.

2. A seal for rotating arbors4 comprising a seal ringadapted to have a free sliding rotary lit against means forming a circular seal seat through which the arbor extends, a flexible seal member of rubber-like material having. a sleevelike portion providing a surface for sealing engagement about the arbor to prevent the escape of gas or fluid along the surface /of the arbor, a spring member adapted to urge the seal member'into cooperative engagement with the seal ring, the seal member also having sealing engagement with the seal ring. the sleeve-like portion of the seal member being formed with a plurality of crossing ribs in the arbor engaging surface thereof, inc ading ribs extending in one helical direction on said arbor engaging surface, and :intersecting ribs extending in another helical direction, said crossing ribs providingair spaces between the ribs to permit the seal member to adhere to the arbor tightly enough to form a seal therewith, ,the parts being so arranged and conformed and adaptedto operate that the seal member and `the seal ring will rotate with the arbor without substantial slipping therebetweenland an axial creepage of the seal member on the arbor without impairment of the seal may occur.

WALTER W. MEYER. 

